Got questions about uberPOOL? We’ve got answers

With hundreds of thousands of people on the move at any given time, it stands to reason that some of us will be going the same way.

uberPOOL is the smart new option that matches you with another Londoner heading the same way, letting you share the car, reduce the cost – and ensure only one car is making the journey rather than two. Whether or not your journey is matched, you’ll save 25% compared to similar uberX journeys.

You’ll pay a fixed fare that is 25% cheaper than uberX, based on historical data for similar trips. The fare will be the same, whether or not you’re matched with another rider heading the same way.

You’ll pay a separate fare to your co-rider, be billed separately and emailed your own receipt. Your co-rider never has access to your payment information and Uber will never share any personal information with them beyond your first name.

In the UK, uberPOOL is currently only available for pick ups in London zones 1-2 and at London Heathrow Airport. See the map below for the exact coverage area in central London.

Outside of the UK, uberPOOL is available in many cities in China, India, the United States, South America as well as in Paris.

Your co-rider is another Uber rider who happens to be heading the same way, at the same time. Uber has a record of their details and yours but we’ll never share anything with your co-rider except your first name.

Using POOL can be a social experience if you want it to be. But, if you’d rather read or listen to music in peace, that’s fine too.

Just like all other Uber options in London, your uberPOOL driver is fully insured, and licensed by TfL. You’ll see your driver’s details and can track your car’s arrival in-app. You can also use the ‘Share my ETA’ function to send a live map of your journey to friends or family.

We’ll never share any of your personal information (except your first name) with your co-rider and they have no access to your payment or account information.

Just as whenever you’re out and about, we recommend you keep all your personal belongings and valuables with you and check you’ve got everything with you at the end of the trip.

Absolutely – and choosing uberPOOL when going to or from the airport or the station can be a great way to save money and share a car with someone making the same journey.

There’s room for your bags – but please make sure you leave enough room for your co-rider’s luggage too. And don’t forget your bags in the back!

uberPOOL is like the uberX experience you know and love. This means ETAs for uberPOOL are about the same as for uberX.

If your uberPOOL is matched with another rider whilst it’s on the way to you, you may see your ETA increase by a few minutes but you’ll soon be on your way.

uberPOOL lets you save money by sharing your car with another Londoner heading the same way.

You may have to go a few minutes out of your way to pick them up or drop them off – but our system is designed to ensure your route is the most efficient and economical as possible for you.

And, whether you make a small detour or not, you’ll always pay the price you saw when you requested – 25% cheaper than a similar trip with uberX.

If you cancel your POOL trip at any time after your driver is confirmed and before he or she arrives, you may be charged a £2 cancellation fee. Of course, if your ETA goes up by more than 2 minutes from when you requested, you won’t be charged a cancellation fee.

With uberPOOL, your driver will wait for you for 2 minutes at you pick up point. If you’re not there within this time, you may be charged a £5 cancellation fee.

When you request a POOL trip, you may be matched with another rider already en route. In this case, he or she may have to divert his or her route to come and pick you up. If you cancel, that diversion was all for nothing and has inconvenienced your driver and another Uber user.

If you’re not ready to be picked up or a slightly longer ETA will make you late, we recommend that you request an uberX.

To keep everyone moving as smoothly as possible, we recommend that you are ready when your driver arrives at your pick up point. We recommend that your driver waits for you for two minutes but then may have to leave without you so as not to inconvenience your co-rider. In this case, you may be charged a cancellation fee of £5.

There are a maximum of 2 people per pick up – meaning that you can only request with one other person. If you are travelling with more than one other person, request uberX and use the in-app fare split feature to share the fare with your companions.

Your uberPOOL co-rider will also be allowed 2 people per pick up.

If you’re travelling with another person and requesting 2 seats in the car, there will be an additional £1 charge for your journey. This will be shown as part of the fixed price that you see before you confirm your request.